Reporter’s FAQ
Question: Help! Google Drive doesn’t work with my computer!
First of all, that’s not a question.
Secondly, there are some known compatibility issues with Google Drive and Internet Explorer. If you download another browser, it should work better. Please use Firefox or Chrome instead. Chrome, in particular, has been optimized to work with Google Drive.
Question: How are we getting access to the worksheets? Will it be via Google Drive too?
Skill worksheets are Google Forms to be filled out, online, by students. Students will receive skill worksheets every other Monday by email with a hyperlink to the form. They will have until the following Friday to turn them in. For more information please refer to the “Additional Assignments: Skill Worksheets” section in your program manual.
Question: Do I submit articles by attaching them through an email?
You will submit articles by sharing documents through Google Drive. Please refer to the “Google Drive Primer” section in your program manual for instructions on how to submit articles.
Question: Other people seem to have a profile on the JSR website! How do I make one?
Do not worry about this yet. We will have everyone create a profile on the JSR website soon.
Question: So after I submit my article to my editor, I’ll be finished until my next submission deadline right?
Nope! Not even close! Your article submission on Sunday is only the first step! After you submit your article to your editor, you will receive edits that your editor has made on the Tuesday after. You will then have until Thursday to submit your revisions. Please refer to the “Schedule” section for more information on deadlines.
Question: What do I do if I have to miss a Google+ Hangout session?
First of all, no hangout session should be missed without letting your editor know 48 hours in advance. It is your responsibility as a reporter to communicate with your editor if you aren’t able to make a hangout session. Your editor will set aside time for your personally to pitch your story ideas, whether by separate hangout session, email, or chat. Please refer to the “Group Meetings” section of the program manual.
Question: How many deadlines am I allowed to miss before being dismissed from the program? Are there any exceptions?
You are allowed to miss only two deadlines within the first two months of the program and four deadlines overall before being dismissed from the program. The only exceptions we have are periods of mourning, illness, or injury. Please refer to “Schedule” section for more information.
Question: Today is my submission date, who do I send my articles to?
After finishing your article on Google Docs, share the file with both your editor and the coordinators at jstudentboard@gmail.com. Please refer to the “Sharing articles with your editors” section under the “Google Drive Primer” in your program manual.
Question: My editor hasn’t responded to my emails, what do I do?
Your editors are responsible for keeping up communication with reporters. If they are not doing a good job of doing so, please get in touch with either Geoff or Joseph and speak with them about the issue! Keep your editors accountable.
Any more questions? Let us know at jstudentboard@gmail.com!
Editor’s FAQ
Question: Does the order in which I write my editorial matter?
Editors are asked to write at least one editorial per month but the order in which they write the editorial does not matter. You can write an informational article for your first writing cycle and the write your editorial or vice versa. Editors may also write only editorials if they wish to do so. Please refer to the “Categories” section of the program manual for more information.
Question: Who do I submit my article to?
After completing your article, share it with the coordinators at jstudentboard@gmail.com.
Question: After receiving my reporters’ article submission I just have to make comments on it and submit it to the coordinators, right?
After receiving your reporters’ article submission on Sundays (5 PM), you must make comments on their work by Tuesday (5 PM) so that they may have an opportunity to revise their work by Thursday for the revision submission date. Because the article will already be shared with us by the reporter on the first submission date, you do not have to share the document with us — but go ahead and double-check that your reporters have followed this guideline. Please refer to the “Editing Expectations” section in the editor’s manual for more information.
Question: Do I have to pitch stories to a coordinator?
Editors will not have to pitch their stories to a coordinator. We trust your discretion when it comes to writing informational articles or editorials.
Question: My reporters aren’t responding to my emails! What do I do?
While you are responsible for keeping up communication with your reporters and keeping them accountable, don’t worry if a reporter fails to reciprocate. Reporters have their own responsibilities, one of them maintaining an open line of communication with their editors. If they continue to ignore emails and deadlines, they will be dismissed from the program. The same goes for editors as well!
Question: What do I do with my student progress reports?
The student progress reports are meant to keep an organized record of students’ submission, revision, and skill worksheet deadlines. We need editors to fill out these sheets so we can keep track of who is completing their work and who isn’t. Please refer to the “Tracking Student Progress” section of the editor’s manual for information regarding how to fill out the sheet and how frequently you should update it.
Question: What do I do if one of my reporters misses a hangout session?
If a reporter fails to show up for a meeting and did not notify you 48 hours in advance, they will be responsible for communicating with you in some way to pitch a story idea. If they simply write an article without telling you about it, the article submission will not count.
Any more questions? Let us know at jstudentboard@gmail.com!
